Michael Grimm warns of Sochi terror threat

Following the recent terrorist attacks in Russia, New York Rep. Michael Grimm warned that such threats ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi cannot be swept “under the rug,” invoking both the attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi and the Boston Marathon bombing.

“We cannot sweep these threats under the rug, like we did with Benghazi or the warnings from Russia on the Tsarnaev brother behind the Boston Marathon bombing,” the Republican lawmaker said in a statement Monday.

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Grimm, who is the co-chairman of the House Russian caucus, said a failure to recognize such threats puts Americans at risk and weakens the U.S. in the eyes of terrorists. He emphasized that every threat should be taken seriously.

Grimm, condemning the attacks, also called for U.S. cooperation with Russia to combat terrorism.

“That begins with taking every threat seriously and acting accordingly, so that the Winter Olympics remain a dream for athletes around the globe, instead of becoming a nightmare like Benghazi,” Grimm said.

The leader of the International Olympic Committee said Monday that the IOC remained confident that Russia will “deliver safe and secure” Olympic Games.

IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement that he personally wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin to express condolences for the bombings, which Bach called “despicable” and “cowardly.”